‘Twas the night after Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, because . . . THEY KNEW A GIGANDO STORM WAS COMING!!
[Yes, Virginia, it snowed today! This is my 71st winter, and there’s still nothing quite as exciting as a big snow storm. You can just stay inside all day and look at it!]
[The National Weather Service, that wondrous Government tax-sponsored agency employing hundreds of public servants of multiple postgraduate scientific backgrounds, was spot on with their forecast . . . ]
[That winter storm, Eboni, was going to bring significant snowfall over a two-day period . . . ]
[Douglas County is getting national attention. The Weather Channel is in town to monitor our snowfall (Douglas County Emergency Management). The Super rushed out at 5:00 a.m. to tell me Alex was on national TV . . . ]
[Well now everything did look Christmasy!]
[Not sittin’ on the dock of the bay . . . ]
[You will recall from the previous posting, that this shot taken on Christmas Day was severely lacking of any snow cover . . . ]
[Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow . . . ]
[It was forecasted to be 12″ at upper range of the spread . . . ]
[Pretty much right on on our patio. But it was still snowing with another day to go. Alex officially reported 14.5″ for the entire storm . . . ]
[Our snow guy raised quite a cloud clearing our driveway. He would be back to do it again the next day . . . ]
[Not your garden variety snow blower . . . ]
[Whom amongst us doesn’t love shoveling snow? There are no mosquitoes, no flies, you don’t get dirty, you’re not baking in the hot sun, and you’re not sweating. My goodness, you can do it all day long! Even when you’re old! What’s not to like?]
[I donned my winter shoveling attire and attacked the patio snow . . . ]
[Kinda like swimming or riding a bike . . . ]
[Balance, form, and endurance . . . ]
[Am I on “Candid Camera”?]
[This is the one-handed shovel lean . . . ]
[Socks? I don’t need no stinkin’ socks!]
[This should about do it . . . ]
[And now you can eat off this patio . . . ]
December 28
[As daylight breaks we see what Mother Nature has wrought. Not to worry though – we still have plenty of wine. The Super will soon venture out to free our dryer vent from snow – there is an aura of anticipation in the air. Looking forward, the projected low temperatures for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are 18 and 17 degrees below zero, respectively. We plan on having wine . . . ]
[And this morning we have snow drifts that swallowed a Buick!]
[We are now free to wander about the countryside . . . ]
[Dang (well, I didn’t say “dang”), I just shoveled this yesterday!]
[And it looks like more!]
[Wow!]
[I haven’t seen this much snow since the last time we got this much snow . . . ]
[This little beauty greeted us at our front door . . . ]
[Julie Shaughnessy wants more snow pictures! These after day 2 of Winter Storm Eboni, i.e., yesterday morning. The Super wanted a shot with the shovel – a lot colder and more snow than the morning before. At the end you see she’s made it to the dryer vent and cleared the snow blockage . . . ]
[The temperature was below zero . . . ]
[She shoveled a path along the edge of the house . . . ]
[Well, I shoveled a foot off the patio yesterday; the Super faced even more on this day – it was over her knees! Therefore, by my Minnesota snow math, we had 400 inches!]
[But she made it to the dryer vent so we could wash clothes . . . ]
December 29
[Freed from the bondage of snow, we were free partake of normal routines . . . ]
[Josie was at the winery . . . ]
[A bottle of Marquette . . . ]
[And we were good to go . . . ]
[The Super went to get her “Missing U at . . . ” photo. Josie on one side, her mom, Linda, on the other . . . ]
[The Super’s two posted photos . . . ]
[Josie’s home for the holidays . . . ]
[She’s a pre-med in her sophomore year at Concordia (Moorhead) . . . ]
[She doesn’t get to play much at school and was bemoaning the loss of her guitar calluses . . . ]
[But as I noted before (i.e., me and shoveling), she picked it right up without missing a beat . . . ]
[We called it a day at dusk . . . ]
[The winery was in fine holiday motif . . . ]
December 30
[This morning I cleared the patio of the second day snow . . . ]
[Yup, from a foot to two feet deep! Happy New Year!! Another 3 – 7 inches are soon on the way.]
I was just thinking, if it is really religion with these nudist colonies, they sure must turn atheists in the wintertime. ~ Will Rogers
We have fortunately reached the age where we still love Christmas, but gift shopping has now dwindled down to a precious few. So, I mostly just stand in the window and take pictures . . .
December 23
[The aforementioned picture out the window – to kids playing on Lake H2Obert . . . ]
[THOSE HALCYON DAYS OF CHRISTMASES YORE! It looked like we were heading for the statistical anomaly of a non-white Christmas here in Vacationaland USA. But with this day’s light snow we had a Light Dusting Christmas! The neighborhood kids were out on Lake H2Obert sliding around on what appear to be shin sleds – run, fall to your knees, and slide . . . ]
[CHRISTMAS WHEN YOU GET OLDER. Jami and Danny were coming for Christmas on December 22. The Super was up early, cooking and baking. I was out running errands. Getting the house ready for their arrival. Late that afternoon, nothing heard from them. Texted asking they stop and pick up the pizza (their idea, we agreed) on the way here. Jami texted back: “We’re not coming until tomorrow.” The Super and I headed to the wine rack. Here we are then opening presents on the 23rd . . . ]
[They’re easy to shop for . . . ]
[Here’s Santa doing the present distribution . . . ]
[The Harn is heated with wood – you can use less wood if you build up interior body heat . . . ]
[Or wear warmer clothes!]
[Oooh-la-la!]
[More body warmth?]
[Looks like a double feature . . . ]
[Vikings!]
[And now it’s time for the fashion show . . . ]
[Well, la-di-dah!]
[And now for the guy stuff . . . ]
[Vikings!]
[And when one runs out of gift ideas . . . ]
[Does it smell like weed?]
[Where would Mom get weed?]
[Whatever it is, I hope it’s legal!]
[And for us, Danny hooked up a dimmer for our dining room . . . ]
[And a Chrome Cast for the Super’s computer to the TV, and a camera for the computer . . . ]
December 24
[Testing the self-timer set-up for the following Christmas Eve photo . . . ]
[MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE! The Super and I enjoying our traditional repast of the date – grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup! Boo-yah!]
December 25
[Merry Christmas from the shores of Lake H2Obert!]
[The Super had to add bulb extensions to have lighted wreaths. For reasons unknown, our place has no exterior electrical outlets . . . ]
[Finally finished stocking the library . . . ]
[The Super with her annual gift of the bubbly . . . ]
[Woo-woo!]
[Now notice how an expert opens and pours . . . ]
[Didn’t lose a drop!]
[Bradley joined us for Christmas dinner . . . ]
[The Super made a turkey breast with all the usual fixin’s. Pronounced yummy by the partakers . . . ]
December 26
[Looking out in the “back yard” the day after our mostly brown Christmas. Consider these the before pictures. A bizzard is heading our way and may arrive before I complete this missive.]
Christmas and the New Year are actually two holidays. So there is a plural, which in the English language, necessitates the use of ‘s.’ I suppose you could say ‘Merry Christmas’ and ‘Happy New Year,’ but you probably have sh*t to do. ~ Jon Stewart
Editor’s Note: This is actually game 6 (the Super has me working on house stuff). We won game 7 at St. Cloud Apollo last night, 85 – 61 . . .
Cardinal fun (at a previous boys’ game) – the mascot; and Mia McGrane attempting a half court shot, one-handed, backwards, and she almost made it . . .
[The game v. conference foe, the Sartell Sabres . . . ]
[The JV is having an excellent season as well . . . ]
[We begin, as usual, with warm-ups . . .]
[Slap, slap, slap, slap, slap . . . ]
[Lest you were wondering, Wings Up (always the Cardinals motto) Birdgame # 32 (the 32nd game of the season would be the state championship game) . . . ]
[Have you been to the new Mexican restaurant downtown yet?]
[How many balls can we hang up in the net?]
[The senior braintrust . . . ]
[Well, I guess that’s settled . . . ]
[The less-than-senior braintrust. What’s the answer to 16 across?]
[Meanwhile, back on the court . . . ]
[Ella Grove works on . . . ]
[Her pull-up mid-range jumper . . . ]
[Sweet, Caroline . . . ]
[So, how were the fajitas?]
[Really????]
[Mac Duwenhoegger up for the opening tip . . . ]
[As I recall, Ella’s first four free throws were so pure, none even touched the rim . . . ]
[The fullcourt press on the inbound – Ella’s (11) on the ball, with guards Kaye Paschka (3) and Mia McGrane (5) on the flanks . . . ]
[Ella inbounds, Mac sets a pic, for a shot from the corner . . . ]
[Ella often prevents the inbounds pass from reaching its intended destination . . . ]
[I told friends before the game that always prefer 20 – 0 starts. It takes the mystery out of the final result. This time, however, the Sabres were the next to score . . . ]
[The lone starter on the court here is Emily Jones (33), amid teammates Cate Bloom (21), Alyna Strand (25), Mataya Hoelscher (23), and Jaya Hatlestad (13). The key is lots of playing time for lots of players . . . ]
[The dreaded “3-11-5 press” . . . ]
[Here Ella, Jonesie, and Kaye keeping their eyes on the ball . . . ]
[Looks like Mia has a steal . . . ]
[At the half. The Sabres could stick ’em when they got an open look . . . ]
[Mia coming up court . . . ]
[Backlit by the Klieg lights of the scorer’s table . . . ]
[A Sabre guard is . . . ]
[Engulfed by an Ella – Mia doubleteam . . . ]
[It could be real trouble . . . ]
[But the ball escaped to live another day . . . ]
[Jonesie cuts to the hole with Mia setting a back pic . . . ]
It was time, once again, for the annual blockbuster event of the year . . .
[If you arrive early, you get the seats that would be given to the President of the United States if such person ever deigned to attend . . . ]
[The regular crowd shuffles in. The stage was set to make visions of sugar plums dance in our heads. The mid-December temperature was in the low 40’s (really!) and though a statewide team known as the Vikings were on TV, the first of back-to-back performances drew near a full house . . . ]
[The house lights dims; anticipation rises . . . ]
[Every year the kids amaze me. And every year I’m still amazed that I’m amazed . . .]
[Two Alex Class of ’65 classmates (one who has for some reason lived in Texas for the past 25 years or so) witnessed the event for the first time and were equally impressed . . . ]
[So, again, kudos must go to Steve Dietz and Brad Lambrecht as the masters of ceremony for the choir and orchestra, respectively. And the annual narrations by Bob Hines. They have the program running like a well oiled machine . . . ]
[And look at the student participation rates. We’re going to have to build a bigger stage!]
[And a little apres-concert ensemble music to go with beverages and cookies!]
[The 2018 Alexandria Area High School Carolers: SOPRANO: Ki Blaser, Sydney Christenson, Ari Janssen, Olivia Maday; ALTO: Nicole Brittin, Madeline Dudley, Emily Elliott, Lauren Russell; TENOR: Matthew Adolphsen, Valon Deising, Gabe Moore, Andy Tollin; BASS: Colin Barten, Beau Granning, Sam Maier, Nick Nelson (photo on loan from voiceofalexandria.com).]
It’s easy to play any musical instrument: all you have to do is touch the right key at the right time and the instrument will play itself. ~ Johann Sebastion Bach
Up Next: It’s the holiday season; I have no idea . . .
Anthony Miltich (with brother Jim as a surprise addition) was the draw. And draw he did. We had the Etniers from Ashby; the Bergs from Plymouth; and the Kiehnes/Mathisons from Austin, Texas. A fun time was had by all!
[The Super and I went for the Calisota as a change of pace. Calisota is part California and part Minnesota, making it . . . Montana?]
[Anthony warms us up . . . ]
[And is then joined by Jim (usually already warm) . . . ]
[The Super steps up for her contractually bound Facebook “Missing U at . . . ” photo.]
[Anthony obliges . . . ]
[Jim thinks, What the . . . ? ]
[When does Santa come? I want to open presents!]
[Other than that, we were generally well behaved . . . ]
[Pretty good turnout . . . ]
[Where the action is . . . ]
[Then, by direct order, go out and shoot the sunset!]
[OK, it was good idea . . . ]
[Back inside, Anthony finds other musical talent at an adjoining table . . . ]
[So up she came . . . ]
[She is studying piano, but accompanied herself well with guitar . . . ]
[She said her name and said she graduated from Alex last year. Her name sounded familiar so I asked her when we left if she was a “caroler.” And Alli Prestby indeed was . . . ]
[The 2017 Alexandria Area High School Carolers: SOPRANO: Sydney Christenson, Sidney Enninga, Rachel Meyer, Alli Prestby; ALTO: Emily Elliot, Kathy Freese, Lauren Russell, Jasmine Springer; TENOR: Matthew Adolphsen, Ryan Ledman, Gabe Moore, Andy Tollin; BASS: Colin Barten, Beau Granning, Adam Klepetka, Bruce Navratil (photo on loan from voiceofalexandria.com).]
I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food. ~ W.C. Fields
Up Next: Alexandria Area High School Christmas Concert
It all began when the Super and I decided it was time to downsize our lives. So, this summer – we moved. From a 3,500 sq. ft. log home on beautiful Lake Darling to a 1,500 sq. ft. condo/duplex on No Name Pond – an Uber ride 2 miles away. Said condo, however, was 28 years old and certain upgrades would be required. Beginning here with the kitchen, and built in bookcase and desk (the bathrooms we’ll do next summer) . . .
November 14
[We hired a crack construction crew from Shevlin, Minnesota, to come down and remove part of a free standing wall in the kitchen . . . ]
[But we still had to get electricity to the island, so electrical wires still had to be carried over the top. The house was built on a slab, so there was no other way . . . ]
[Before the end of the day, the demolition had been completed, the wires cut awaiting re-installation, and we lived without power to the kitchen ceiling lights (and refrigerator which we temporarily moved to another wall) for a month. You get skilled help when you can get it . . . ]
[Now we had a unobstructed view between the living room and kitchen . . . ]
December 13
[We wanted to upgrade the sink, countertops, and cabinet doors (the Super loved the original cabinets themselves). Jami and Danny came down again and disconnected the sink . . . ]
[We thought the cabinet door hardware dated and the wood too dark . . . ]
[The Super had already begun a kitchen paint job. “Baked Bean,” which seems appropriate for a kitchen, here in the refrigerator nook. This was the only place for a refrigerator in the original house design, so there’s no way to hook up water. Thus, instead of having an icemaker, we have to tough it out the old way – with ice cube trays!]
[Here our wires are hanging for ultimate reconnection to the island . . . ]
[As was . . . ]
[Arrival of the workers and their stuff. In the background you can see they have removed the old countertops . . . ]
[Our blank wall in the dining room would become wall-to-wall bookcase . . . ]
[It was a wintery looking day, though we have little snow . . . ]
[The bookcase is filling in nicely . . . ]
[The cabinet guys have one truck; the countertop guys the other . . . ]
[It’s nice to have an electrician for a son-in-law. Here you can see the design for getting electricity back to the island – a wood overpass then through a hole in the granite countertop. This brought full power back to the kitchen. The new cabinet doors and hardware visible behind Danny . . . ]
[The countertop guys could not initially fit the new sink. We had to get a plumber over immediately to re-route some pipes. Fortunately, they stayed around until it was done. Nothing happens without glitches . . . ]
[Said sinkhole (and new cabinet doors and hardware) . . . ]
[What used to be called “guy stuff” . . . ]
[A better view of the overpass – with bookcase in the background . . . ]
December 14
[Time to photograph the mostly completed work . . . ]
[The bookcase brings warmth to the house . . . ]
[Season’s Greetings!!]
[A plumber came in the morning and hooked up the new sink . . . ]
[We’re not done yet. Still more to be painted, install a backsplash and more trim, and eventually put in a new floor . . . ]
[So far we like the new look . . . ]
[And we have a much nicer view through the house to outside . . . ]
[My new desk (Ruthie’s is on the porch) at the back of the living room . . . ]
[And now the book project – long packed away in boxes in the laundry room. Likely a multi-day procedure . . . ]
It always seems impossible until it’s done. ~ Nelson Mandela
We had never experienced 2018 before. Gazing into the future, we will never experience 2018 again. It was a one and done. There are pluses and minuses. The pluses included THREE overseas trips – five if you count Colorado and Wisconsin as being “overseas.” We moved. After 17 years in the lake home we built on beautiful Lake Darling, it was time to downsize our lives and living quarters. Of course, the first ‘plus’ puts a kibosh on the downsizing of our ‘lives.’ The minuses are – well, the tugs of aging are making it more difficult to do such things. So, let’s just dive into it. . . .
As always, Christmas music from our friend Lisa Lynn . . .
January (with the usual apologies to Dave Barry)
[We began the new year completing this trip . . . ]
[And what a beginning to the New Year – sunrise in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico . . . ]
[OK, that’s a lot – but I had more!]
[Our boat . . . ]
[Our boat going through the Panama Canal (a drone shot) – the first Viking ship to do so. All passengers were endowed with a statement of recognition accordingly . . . ]
[Hi from our tender going ashore . . . ]
[January 1st is also the Super’s birthday. My thoughtful birthday presents were a dozen surfboards . . . ]
[Fun in Cabo at Senor Frog’s. I’m thinking of having “tourist” tattooed on my forehead . . . ]
[And then the sunset was the equal to the sunrise . . . ]
[Then in open water until arriving in LA, our cruise end point . . . ]
[Flaunting my disobedience . . . ]
[Before disembarking the ship for the last time . . . ]
February
[Back home, doing familiar things. A wine pickup party at Carlos Creek Winery with Josie Nelson providing the entertainment. A pattern that continues throughout the year . . . ]
[Then it was off to Colorado for Aunt Pearl’s 90th birthday. Here we are enjoying beautiful weather in Rocky Mountain National Park . . . ]
[And catching rays on the Stanley Hotel porch, Estes Park . . . ]
[The whole famn damily, with friends, at cousin John’s in Estes Park . . . ]
[Auntie with two of her larger nephews . . . ]
[Auntie with her older brother, my dad . . . ]
[And as the winter sports season was coming to an end, we made our annual pilgrimage to the Twin Cities to once again follow our girls hockey team in the state tournament (Echo Press photo) . . . ]
March
[In seasons like no other, our girls basketball team and boys hockey team also made their respective state tournaments. We should have taken out a month lease in the Cities. Here the basketball team is on the hallowed floor of Williams Arena on the campus of the University of Minnesota . . . ]
[Coach Wendy Kohler broke the record for most wins by a female coach and was inducted into the state’s basketball hall of fame . . . ]
[The boys made it to the championship game after being the 4th-seed in their section (Echo Press photo) . . . ]
April
[River Songs & Tales with Mark Twain at the Alexandria Area High School’s Performing Arts Center. With the Ensemble Singers, folk fiddler Sara Pajunen and Don Shelby (longtime Minneapolis TV news anchor) as Mark Twain . . . ]
[Mr. Shelby and the Super are native Hoosiers and had much to discuss . . . ]
[In a banner year for our Cardinal sports teams, Kaye Paschka helped set the tone as a multi-sport star, here in the triple jump . . . ]
[“Weakie,” my forever walking buddy, deigned to join me for the track meet . . . ]
May
[The Run for the Roses annual fundraiser for Theatre L’Homme Dieu at the Alexandria Golf Club. The Super, as always, won . . . something . . . ]
[Then the Gopher Coaches Caravan came to town. We shared a table with men’s basketball coach Richard Pitino at the Legacy of the Lakes museum . . . ]
[Then it was off to Russia, just because it’s there . . . ]
[First day dining in Helsinki with travel partners, Pam and Tom. As I recall, the food was more than delicious . . . ]
[And whom amongst us doesn’t enjoy ice cream in Finland. It was the warmest May in recorded history there – sunny and low 70’s every day!]
[A lovely avian headdress for Havis Amanda at the Market Square in Kaartinkaupunki, Helsinki) . . . ]
[Helsinki port, as the Super and I took a one-day ferry trip to Tallinn, Estonia . . . ]
[The Super and I each found a new friend in Tallinn – I’ve forgotten their names?]
[Then it was time for the Russia part of the trip – high speed train from Helsinki to St. Petersburg. The only way to fly . . . ]
June
[On our ship, Viking Akun, for the cruise from St. Petersburg to Moscow. Every cruise begins with safety procedures . . . ]
[TheHermitage in St. Petersburg, famed in song and story . . . ]
[Where the Super made a new friend . . . ]
[And, of course, cruises are about eating . . . ]
[And ballets (OK, first time) – the Mikhailovsky Theatre in St. Petersburg . . . ]
[For Swan Lake . . . ]
[On the grounds of Catherine’s Palace in Pushkin . . . ]
[Catherine’s Palace, a selfie paradise . . . ]
[Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, St. Petersburg. A significant facility . . . ]
[Freddie Mercury? On a bench in St. Petersburg? If you haven’t yet, you must see Bohemian Rhapsody . . . ]
[The Super on the ‘water’ side of Peterhof Palace in St. Petersburg . . . ]
[And the aforementioned palace . . . ]
[Just so you know . . . ]
[And this was in the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood . . . ]
[The Super wasn’t sure about this one – I liked it, a photo of mother and daughter as our St. Petersburg canal cruise went under their bridge . . . ]
[A selfie on our boat, occasion not recalled . . . ]
[As I regularly awake before 5:00 am, I was always first for breakfast to this small dining lounge just a few steps from our room. Thus, it was a hangout . . . ]
[Cruising Russia, the passageways between several large inland bodies of water . . . ]
[Pam slides in Mandrogy. I think she did pick up a splinter . . . ]
[The Super on the Moscow street where you GUM . . . ]
[And the aways popular St. Basil’s Cathedral in Red Square . . . ]
[Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow, the tallest Orthodox Christian church in the world . . . ]
[Russian folk orchestra concert in Moscow . . . ]
[Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow. With the pace of tour movements, people in our age group are always looking for opportunities to sit down – as demonstrated here by the Super . . . ]
[Hamming it up in Alexander Gardens outside the Kremlin Walls . . . ]
[Could it be hamming it up with Mother Russia?]
[The Super snaps a shot of the Bolshoi Ballet Theatre. Unfortunately, we did not have interior access because of the forthcoming World Cup activities . . . ]
[Fly me to the moon . . . ]
[Where the above photo was shot, Voshod Restaurant in Zaryadye (new Moscow park) . . . ]
[The Super and Tom on the hovering bridge in Zaryadye . . . ]
[The Super met a Russian journalist there to cover the World Cup . . . ]
[A trip favorite in the Kremlin’s Cathedral Square – now that’s a selfie!]
July
[In the magic sculpture garden of Vining, Minnesota . . . ]
[It’s camp time! All our campers fine dining in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, hard by the shores of Lake Michigan . . . ]
[Viva, Sheboygan!!]
[The Biddies, famed in song and story, starring in Camp Brosius, the camp . . . ]
[There was a Western theme at camp this year – what could be more Western than a Hawaiian swim suit . . .]
August
[Camp! The annual pilgrimage to Camp Brosius, the Indiana University alumni camp, in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. I don’t know what possessed me to join The Biddies in the pristine waters of Elkhart Lake . . . ]
[A camp field trip to Lake Michigan, once again featuring The Biddies . . . ]
[Presenting . . . the campers . . . ]
[All the campers in our group. To know them is to love them . . . ]
[Why yes, I was the only guy living in our 5-star hotel, Rappaport cottage. . . . ]
[A reunion of sorts at the Legacy of the Lakes Museum. We’re with Ahna, among the first to sway us to the delights of girls high school hockey, back home 12 years later for her dad’s retirement as the head honcho of the museum . . . ]
[The Theatre L’Homme Dieu fundraising soiree on the theatre’s campus . . . ]
[Rose and I were colleagues at the Department of Labor where our lunchtime activities included seeing who could complete a crossword puzzle the fastest. She was her high school valedictorian, so guess who won. She was home to Minneapolis for a reunion . . . ]
[MY BIRTHDAY PRESENT . . . ]
September
[William Kent Krueger came to town again for another book signing. We’ve come to know him so well when we see him we say, “Hi, howya doing?”]
[See the next photo . . . ]
[Some people have connections in high places (though not us) . . . ]
[Related, and happy together . . . ]
[Enjoying lovely weather at our “new” home. Yes, we moved from our 3,500-square foot house on Lake Darling to a 1,500-square foot duplex condo on an environmental pond in August. And for those who are sending cards to our old address, we did advise all of our new address back in June. We have the same mail deliverer and she probably thinks we old people didn’t tell anybody we moved! Again, 416 Voyager Drive, Alexandria, Minnesota 56308 . . . ]
[Happy Birthday, to me!]
[The “John and Natalia Obert” sign seemed appropriate since it was the only sign we had . . . ]
[Visitors from Arizona, Aunt Mary Kay and Uncle Tom; visitors from the Cities, brother Cam and cousin Beth. First, at the AGC . . . ]
[Then at the Legacy of the Lakes Museum . . . ]
[The view from the new home sweet home . . . ]
[It was previously known as No Name Lake, a friend suggested Lake H2Obert.]
[The Art Leap in Park Rapids . . . ]
[The Alex Class of ’65 has a reunion lunch every month, no RSVP required . . . ]
[A fundraiser for the Central Lakes Symphony Orchestra . . . ]
October – December
We went to Spain. The results of the trip are still in the early stages of being blogged. Then there was some sort of election. Then the winter sports seasons and community education movies began, and our partners in crime in Russia arrived for an extended stay from Texas to take care of Tom’s dad. Then it was time for the annual Christmas letter . . .
Spoiler alert: A few sneak preview shots from Spain . . .
[The trip, from October 20 – November 1, began in Barcelona, then Madrid, then to Granada, then to Seville, then to Cordoba, then back to Madrid (and Toledo), then . . . home.]
[We moved into a 28-year old house. It needs upgrades. We brought a crack construction crew in from Shevlin, Minnesota, to de-construct before remodeling begins – likely to be finished before this missive . . . ]
[OK, we’re getting close . . . ]
[Signing off (yeah, I know, finally) so Seasons’ Greetings, Happy Holidays, dosvedanya, andmay you stay forever young!]
Aren’t we forgetting the true meaning of Christmas. You know, the birth of Santa? ~ Matt Groening
[We were on our own in the morning. We came out of the Diagonal subway stop to this amazing place to start the day, at Gaudi’s la Pedrera on Passeig de Gracia. We will be back here on a guided tour in the afternoon (in Part 2). Remember then the brochure about it is here . . . ]
[Kitty-corner from la Pedrera, Casa Batlló Passeig de Gràcia 43 designed by Antoni Gaudí . . . ]
[He really was quite unique (duh!) . . . ]
[The Flatiron Building?]
[The Picasso Museum . . . ]
[The Museu Picasso houses one of the most extensive collections of artworks by the 20th-century Spanish artist Pablo Picasso. With 4,251 works exhibited by the painter, the museum has one of the most complete permanent collections of works. The museum is housed in five adjoining medieval palaces in Barcelona’s La Ribera and is located on Montcada Street in the (Bank District) of Barcelona. It opened to the public on 9 March 1963, becoming the first museum dedicated to Picasso’s work and the only one created during the artist’s life. It has since been declared a museum of national interest by the Government of Catalonia (Wikipedia).]
[Why yes, we do love climbing stairs . . . ]
[The Super and Anne are leading the way . . . ]
[Hi! It’s me at the Picasso Museum . . . ]
[Well, why not?]
[An archeological dig into antiquity . . . ]
[In the heart of the city . . . ]
[Oh my, even photographing information is a selfie . . . ]
[Impressive building, but not found on the Google machine?]
[The gargoyles of Gotic Barri . . . ]
[Gothic Barcelona is in . . . ]
[The center of the old city. Nice shot, Bill!]
[Our friends are back out on their balconies . . . ]
[The Super can always find yummies . . . ]
[Did I already mention that Halloween is a big deal in Spain? I think I was wearing a particularly scary mask . . . ]
[Shopping along the edges of Gotic Barri . . . ]
[This was good for a few laughs . . . ]
[Please have the children leave the room . . . ]
[Again, Gothic Cathedral of Santa Eulalia in Gotic Barri . . . ]
[And its square . . . ]
[Old street sign – Baixada de Santa Clara El Barri Gotic . . . ]
[Galerias Sant Jordi souvenir shop in Gothic Quarter . . . ]
[More yummies . . . ]
[Outdoor dining, studying maps, readying for our afternoon guided tour . . . ]
[Yummies, not behind glass!]
[We’re now on our tour, though this one wasn’t ours . . . ]
[Meet your guide just outside Jaume I Metro. Exit onto Plaça de l’Àngel, in front of Café Cappuccino. Look for the guides in red SANDEMANs NEW Europe T-shirts.]
[And I amazingly remember our group walk to this place . . . ]
[Els Quatre Gats is a café that famously became a popular meeting place for famous artists throughout the modernist period in Catalonia, known as Modernisme. The café opened on June 12, 1897 in the famous Casa Martí, and served as a hostel, bar and cabaret until it eventually became a central meeting point for Barcelona’s most prominent modernist figures, such as Pablo Picasso and Ramon Casas i Carbo. The bar closed due to financial difficulties in June 1903, but was reopened and eventually restored to its original condition in 1989 (Wikipedia).]
[Now we’re heading for a walk in the big city . . . ]
[Good luck crossing here . . . ]
[We are walking north up Passeig de Gracia, a major avenue (obviously) . . . ]
[‘Passeig de Gràcia’is an elegant and majestic boulevard which was a showcase for Barcelona’s bourgeoisie at the turn of the 19th century (waymarking.com).]
[The Old Fountain on Passeig de Gracia . . . ]
[The H & M boutique flagship on Passeig de Gracia in the former Generali bank . . . ]
[Monument al Llibre by Joan Brossa . . . ]
[ “Flor de Barcelona panot,” 18 different tiles or panots cover the streets of Barcelona. Some of these pavement tiles have been designed by top names in the architecture of Barcelona. Flor de Barcelona is a design of Puig i Cadafalch. Or the Gaudí tiles that cover Passeig de Gràcia that, as you may have guessed, is made from a design of Antoni Gaudi (barcelona.blogspot.com)]
[Passeig de Gràcia lamp post . . . ]
[Pere Falqués i Urpí – 1850-1916 – designed the street lamps . . . ]
[The beginning of “The Block of Discord” . . . ]
[Among all the significant buildings however, is one block with addresses at numbers 35, 41 and 43 Passeig de Gracia, that generates considerable interest and lots of camera clicking. Between the years 1898 and 1906 three of the era’s most important modernist architects took existing buildings on the block and refurbished them in such dissimilar visions and contrasting styles that the street is often referred to as “The Block of Discord” (noparticularplacetogo.net).]
[The Illa de la Discòrdia is noted for having buildings by four of Barcelona’s most important Modernista architects, Lluís Domènech i Montaner, Antoni Gaudí, Josep Puig i Cadafalch and Enric Sagnier, in close proximity. As the four architects’ styles were very different, the buildings clash with each other and the neighboring buildings. They were all built in the early years of the 20th century (Wikipedia).]
[Casa Lleó-Morera Passeig de Gràcia 35 designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner (above), and ’39’ (below) . . . ]
[Casa Mulleras Passeig de Gràcia 37 designed by Enric Sagnier . . . ]
[Casa Amatller Passeig de Gràcia 41 designed by Josep Puig i Cadafalch . . . ]
[And what’s now contained therein . . . ]
[Looking back down to the beginning of the block . . . ]
[And now inside ’41’ . . . ]
[Whoa, more goodies!]
[And as I recall the Super purchased some. We will begin Part 2 next with the Gaudi house . . . ]
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. ~ George Carlin
Last weekend the Cards, then No. 2 in the state Class AAA rankings, travelled to the Hopkins Tip-Off Tournament and defeated then No. 1-ranked DeLaSalle, 59 – 49. This was their first game as the new No. 1 . . .
[Yes, the Class of 65ers were back at the gym for the second night in a row (amazingly we duplicated the photo from the previous night), our Cards hosting the St. Cloud Tech Tigers . . . ]
[A reminder . . . ]
[This is a pre-game routine where the players try to toss an orange spheroid through the metal hoop attached to a glass backboard . . . ]
[The idea is to make them a high percentage of the time . . . ]
[Of course, there is an ongoing repartee concerning the finer point of academics . . . ]
[This is senior center McKenzie Duwenhoegger. How prescient of me to realize at this time that she would ultimately be selected player-of-the-game . . . ]
[The spheroid is lofted skyward by an official person to start the contest . . . ]
[McKenzie rises after it . . . ]
[And tips it back to a teammate . . . ]
[One of those rare instances when a random photo catches the athletic elegance of the game . . . ]
[Mia likely made a steal, or received an outlet pass, and streaked downcourt (or was it upcourt?) . . . ]
[When you think of the factors that currently have us ranked No. 1, one could begin with guards Kaye and Mia. They are 5’8″ and 5’7″, respectively, which is pretty good size for high school guards. Plus, both are excessively mobile . . . ]
[When you match them with three 6-footers on the front line, we have a lot of defensive wing span making things not much fun for the opposition . . . ]
[Four starters with McKenzie just off camera . . . ]
[Seen many times in her career, the back of No. 3 going in for a layup . . . ]
[Mia at the foul line. We’ve had a lot of early season rust from here so far . . . ]
[Then Jonesie . . . ]
[The ongoing nightmare for our opponents – to be double-team trapped by Ella and Kaye against the sideline and centerline. The outcome could not have been favorable for the Tigers . . . ]
[Hall of Fame coach Wendy Kohler well on the way to her 10 zillionth win . . . ]
[We must be doing good – she appears speechless. 😉 ]
[Jaya Hatlestad (13), sophomore, on line. She’s part of the “line change” unit, as is Alayna Strand (25), sophomore, when Kohler subs in 3 – 5 players at a time, not unlike hockey . . . ]
[Ella and Kaye back in and in full court press mode. The full court defense is always in mode until the game gets out of hand . . . ]
[Yup, it’s an effort just to get the ball inbounded . . . ]
[Ella on the line, with mixed “lines” on the court now . . . ]
[This may be our trickery play. Ella inbounds to Jonesie, who fakes a hand off to Ella coming around the outside, then Jonesie turns inside dribbles along the baseline for a layup. Worked perfectly . . . ]
[Cate’s another ball hawk who’s driving in after a steal . . . ]
[I remember a game last year where some young quick guards were giving us fits. Cate, then a freshman and not playing much, came in and turned the game around with her defense . . . ]
[When you’re in the 3rd row, you’re pretty much up close and personal. Ella is our usual inbounder . . . ]
[Kaye starting the offense with a pass to the right flank . . . ]
[Then cuts hard to the center – if she gets open, Ella will hit her . . . ]
[The Tigers are thinking, I don’t want the ball . . . ]
[Here Summer Gerhardt (1), junior, has joined Ella and Kaye with the pressure defense . . . ]
[Mataya Hoelscher (23) goes for the steal with Cate coming in to assist . . . ]
[No, it’s mine!]
[At the half, the Tigers finally got a few open looks late – they could make shots when they didn’t have a Cardinal in their face . . . ]
[Kaye, meditating or napping, before she goes into full energy mode again . . . ]
[I am oft asked, “So, just how fast is Kaye Paschka?” Well, last night we were sitting in the 3rd row and when she dashed by on one of her forays to the basket, the part in my hair changed sides! She is a track star and will be doing such at Augustana next year, if I remember right . . . ]
[The rare home game radio broadcast . . . ]
[We’ll close this out with McKenzie on the foul line, and Ella displaying the smile of a game in hand . . . ]
[The game went to running time with 9 minutes left, which is the rule I believe when a team has a 40+-point lead. The Cards are mostly away now until January – only one more home game until then. There’s some challenging road games ahead, so they get to test their mettle . . . ]
A lot of people are afraid of heights. Not me, I’m afraid of widths. ~ Steven Wright
Last year our girls hockey and basketball teams and our boys hockey team all made state tournaments. I heard boys basketball was going to be up and coming this year. Although they lost their first two games, both on the road, they’re very young. I was looking forward to a peek . . .
[The warm-ups . . . ]
[6’10” sophomore Treyton Thompson apparently made a splash in Twin City summer leagues . . . ]
[“Home of the Cardinals,” lest you can’t read anything printed in red . . . ]
[Whadya think of that new apartment complex being built downtown?]
[Meanwhile, back at the shoot around . . . ]
[If you noticed at the center court meeting, two-year starting point guard Trey Hoepner was in civvies?]
[And the tip, controlled by Treyton . . . ]
[Though it looked painful for him . . . ]
[Since I didn’t shoot the intros, the starting lineup (as I recall and refer to the program): Cody Branson (3), junior; Carsson Jones (11), junior; Anders Hedstrom (22), senior; Colton Roderick (35), sophomore; and Treyton Thompson (42), sophomore. And I don’t think any of these guys started last year?]
[Carsson (11) in the lane. He was magic, particularly in the first half, both distributing and scoring. The regionally inspiring, The Boy Tenor, projected him as a star in the making last year . . . ]
[And here he is making a 3 . . . ]
[The 3 players in this photo, Colton, Treyton, and Carsson, the all-name team and all underclassmen, appear to form the core of the team . . . ]
[Colton walks it up . . . ]
[He was the leading scorer in the previous game; Treyton in the first . . . ]
[Here comes Carsson, who has the ability to drive through traffic . . . ]
[Cody at the foul line with Anders in a rebounding position marking an all-name starting five . . . ]
[Looks like a steal by Carsson . . . ]
[And speed up court . . . ]
[Maintaining ball control . . . ]
[Colton at the line . . . ]
[Lots of first half activity, not a lot of scoring. Holding the Spartans to 16 for a half, not bad!]
[Spoiler alert: As posted on FB – With strong support from 4 members of the Class of ’65, the Cardinal boys basketball team easily dispatched Rocori. We look pretty good . . . well, the team looks pretty good. Doctor Tom Kiehne (between Brad Anderson and Ruth Helie Anderson) was in town from Austin, Texas – this was his first appearance at a high school game in 53 years . . . ]
[A Spartan attempting a shot over Treyton, who impressed me with his defensive ability to keep his feet on the ground, not trying to block every shot . . . ]
[In so doing, he did a good job rebounding . . . ]
[More from the youth movement, freshman Kristen Hoskins (21) played much and contributed much. He had an impressive late season push as a running back on the football team . . . ]
[Treyton has all the necessary tools to be a terrific player. But as a 6’10” sophomore he needs to grow into himself, i.e., eat of pizzas and doughnuts!]
[Good shooter . . . ]
[And they all played defense that would make Kohler proud . . . ]
[Colton brings it up with Cody . . . ]
[An exciting future the next three years? With these two it could be fun.]
[And Treyon wraps it up from the line . . . ]
[This team will be fun to watch this year. They play up tempo and are going to get better. They may get over powered by some teams until they get heftier . . . ]
True terror is to wake up one morning and discover that your high school class is running the country. ~ Kurt Vonnegut
[The warm-ups . . . ]
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